People: a good broker / facilitator to build relationships
Effective partnerships have a good broker or facilitator.
In most DPCD partnerships this is a dedicated position, often jointly funded by the partners. The costs of the broker may be offset by the efficiencies they achieve in terms of better planning processes and savings from shared use and management of facilities, as reported by the Caroline Springs Partnership.
A broker or facilitator builds relationships, keeps a “bird’s eye” view over the work, ensures tasks get done on time and helps navigate government bureaucracy when needed.
A broker can also help to build the capacity of the community to enable it to play an active role in the partnership.
A good broker needs:
Source: Pope and Lewis, 2008, “Improving Partnership Governance: Using a Network Approach to Evaluate Partnerships in Victoria”,
The Australian Journal of Public Administration, vol. 67, no. 4, pp. 443–456. This article is available online at
Tools and Resources
Brokering overview
Brokering - What is it and why does it exist (Word 70 kb) provides an overview of the roles of the broker, how these roles support the partnership and the overall outcomes that the broker is working towards.
Broker/facilitator job description
This Job description (Word 132 kb) from Transport Connections outlines accountabilities, attributes and personal qualities for a broker/facilitator.
Broker/facilitator objective and deliverables
The School and Community Partnerships overview and objectives (Word 134 kb) defines the role of the broker, including the objectives, deliverables, accountabilities and key selection criteria.
Brokering advice
New Zealand’s
Waitakere Partnerships Research Team has developed advice for brokers based on their experiences. The Brokering Guidebook developed by the International Business Leaders Forum also provides a range of tools and advice for brokers and partnerships.Go to Partners.
Linked page opens in a new window